NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

On February 16 and 17, 2017, The MasterCard Foundation is hosting its second annual Young Africa Works Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. This invite-only event will bring together a community of 300 thought leaders from NGOs, government, funders and the private sector committed to developing sustainable youth employment strategies in Africa. It will also directly involve young people to help understand and explore their journeys, including the challenges they face, in securing meaningful economic opportunities.

Building on the dynamic conversations of the inaugural Summit in 2015, we believe that there is more to explore around youth, employment and agriculture. In 2017, we would like to shift the discussion from how to engage youth in agriculture, to youth as drivers of agricultural transformation. This transformation holds tremendous promise for catalyzing prosperity and creating sustainable livelihoods for young people in Africa. The Summit will also explore three sub-themes that contribute to agricultural transformation, including gender, technology and climate-smart agriculture.